Kenneth Lanier Donnelly

Obituary

Kenneth Lanier Donnelly of Annandale, VA, passed away peacefully in hospice care at the Adler Center on Sunday, July 17, 2022. Ken was born in Charleston, SC in 1936 and came to Washington, DC at age 4. He lived and went to school in Northeast Washington, DC, graduating from Eastern High School in 1955 and then completed college at George Washington University in 1963, where he earned a BS in Civil Engineering. Ken was a Professional Engineer, passing the East Coast Exam for Professional Engineers in Washington, DC. Over the course of his career as a Civil Engineer, his work was primarily in the field of Sanitary Engineering specializing in water treatment and management. He was a member of the US Air National Guard and called to duty in 1960. Ken retired in 1989 as Chief Engineer of DC Water and thereafter served as a consultant for Metcalf & Eddy Engineering in Wakefield, MA. His work with M&E took him to many countries in Europe and on multiple occasions to Thailand, where he oversaw preliminary development of the construction phase of major wastewater treatment projects. At the end of his career, Ken was Project Manager for the construction of the Georgetown Waterfront Park facing the Potomac River and was extremely proud of the Park’s award-winning labyrinth. He enjoyed golfing and was a member of the Fairfax Country Club in Fairfax, VA. He enjoyed raising and showing his Springer Spaniels and looked forward to each spring so he could begin his famous garden. He was an avid hunter and enjoyed fishing on the Chesapeake Bay, having Crab Feasts at his home where he would steam bushels of Chesapeake Bay blue crabs for his many friends and family. He was especially fond of cooking in his wok. He was a sports fan throughout life enjoying coaching his son's little league baseball and football teams at the Silver Hill Boys Club and was a lifelong fan of the Redskins. Ken leaves behind his loving family: wife, Molly Davis, married for (65) years; daughter, Lisa Cespedes; son, Craig Donnelly, MD (Gosha); granddaughters, Kyla Pearce (Adam), Evelyn Crews (Mike), Natalie Donnelly (David May), Molly Cespedes; and five great-grandsons, Bear, Coyote, Owen, Arlo, and Leif. A gathering for celebration of his life for family and friends will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in tribute to Kenneth Donnelly to the Adler Center for Inpatient Hospice Care, c/o Capital Caring Health, 3180 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 500, Falls Church, VA 22042, at www.capitalcaring.org, or by calling 703-531-2380. //

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